On the radio yesterday, I heard this preacher ask, “If you could preach one sermon only (before you die) what would you preach?” The question captivated me for some reason.

I started pondering it, and realized if I could say one thing only, I would talk about the importance of knowing God (for yourself) and not just hear-say on what others have said about him.

I believe what others say about God, should cause us to seek him out for ourselves.

“I heard” the restaurant had really good food, (we say), “Think I”ll check it out one day for myself.” Let’s face it, the quest to know Jesus (and God the Father) is a scary quest at best.

What if we hear wrong? “Make up stuff in our head, and call it God?” What if the voice we hear is not God? For we do know if there is God, then there is a devil! What if he speaks to us? Will we know the difference between God’s voice and his?

And why should God even speak to me? And, what if he says something that disagrees with my pastor, my parents, my friends or someone else I look up to, or respect?

I see, the safe route is to just go along with the program, trust that everything that happens to me is God’s will, and float along with a lot of great intentions. After all, God does know my heart, so he can just let me know if he wants to speak, right?

I think we all know, deep down, we are supposed to ask Him. Talk to him. Not about every little thing we want today but, “The important questions.” If we really believe he loves us, we should not be afraid to ask. God sent his Son Jesus to die for us so we could still have the right to ask anything of Him.

What would please you most? That your children want your goodies, or they want to know you? Would you be pleased if they got to know you “from others” who claimed to know you? No.

The parable in Matthew 25:26 reveals the seriousness of making assumptions. “Well Lord, I thought you were (like this)” Or “Like that……” …..

In John 4:10 Jesus told the woman at the well, “If you knew who I am, you would have asked for living water.” Matthew 7:21-23 contains a very stern warning from Jesus, which includes the idea if we didn’t do what he said, he will say he didn’t know us. He is talking to people who did “wonders in his name.”

Wow. I guess knowing him (and him knowing us) is pretty important. Beyond important, it’s crucial to our eternal lives. (did you look up those scriptures?).

On that day your physical body dies and you meet with Jesus (and you will, I promise), he is not going to say ‘what did the preacher say?”

He isn’t going to ask what your Sunday school teacher taught you, or what that book said, or this book said. He died a bloody awful death so YOU could know him and be reconciled to God our Father in heaven.

The question is, after Jesus said that to the Samaritian woman, did she even ask for living water? We don’t know, because the bible does not tell us that information. We know she ran off to tell everyone about this man who knew all about her, but I don’t see a record for her saying, ‘Okay Jesus, please do give me this living water you are talking about!”

John 4:42 says after the woman had told them about her encounter with Jesus, they went and sought him out. Then these people said,

“Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,the Savior of the world.”

So the question is; Do you know God personally for yourself? Does he know you? Why or why not? (to both questions!).

Have we been taught the criteria for knowing Him? Or do we just follow along with everyone else, Assuming that we know him? Assuming that he knows us?

I challenge you today, the most important relationship in your life may be suffering from Neglect. And I also challenge you to do something about it. Right here & Right now. Talk to Jesus. He hears you. And make your prayers to him count for something other than ‘assuming’ what you ought to pray.

With Love, Laura Grace, Author and Ambassador for Christ.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

I”ve been known to stop everything, and just go and pray. If my mind gets swimmy, I don’t know what to do anymore, I feel like things are crashing in, and I have 20 things to do that are very important, well Yes I will say “I”m going to go pray”.

I’ve been known to walk past a stack of bills, a pile of work, dishes, people clamoring to talk to me and just shut the door and say “Father I’m not leaving here until I know what to do” .…

See, I take it literally what Jesus said;

“Apart from me, you can do nothing.” (John 15).

In the natural we can seem to be doing something. shopping, cleaning the dishes, cleaning the house….

but without Jesus we can do nothing PROFITABLE to his Kingdom! You see? words of Jesus (John 15)

” for without Me you can do nothing”

Why did he say that? Because without him Nothing goes right!

When he says “cry out loud’ for Wisdom (in Proverbs) that too is the spirit of God speaking to us. I take it seriously.

I think I’m very blessed I was not smart by the world’s standards and had seemingly “no common sense.” “Airhead” “Hippie” “idealistic’……

I’ve been called all this and more! but I am blessed! when I call on the name of Jesus and say I cannot go on without you, I will not make this decision without you I “NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU He never lets me down” the thing is: I have to be ready for his answer which may or may not agree with my peers, this world, or anything I’ve been taught. i have to be prepared….

to lay it all down, and follow him. Amen -LG .

John 10:4 “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”